Family at Pyramids Feasts and Then Watches Speeches

NAZLET El‐SIMAN, Egypt, Nov. 20—In this once rural village in the shadow of the pyramids, at the edge of the desert on the western outskirts of Cairo, it was a day, as in the rest of Egypt, to celebrate the Feast of the Sacrifice, to remember deceased relatives and to listen to President Anwar el‐Sadat deliver his dramatic speech to the Israeli Parliament.

For Hatim Assiz and his family, the occasion was more poignant than for most of the village's 12,000 residents. His brother, an Egyptian soldier, did not return from the Sinai campaign during the 1967 Arab‐Israeli war.

The Assiz family rose at dawn to visit their mosque. They then ate lamb that had been ceremonially slaughtered. The scraps and other food were taken along on a visit to the cemetery and distributed to beggars at the gate.

The Assiz family prayed for the missing soldier at the family plot, even though his body had not been returned there for burial.

Sometimes emotionally moved, sometimes tense, Mr. Assiz sat riveted in front of the screen. He gasped “What courage!” when Mr. Sadat declared that the occupied territories must be returned by Israel to the Arabs. He grunted agreement when Mr. Sadat spoke of the need for peace. He growled at his youngest son to keep quiet when the boy started to run around the room.

“Sadat was very good, much better than Begin,” said Mr. Assiz, to the agreement of the other people in the house. “He was dignified. He was strong. He was sincere. No one can say he was at fault.”

In fact, much of prime Minister Menahem Begin's speech went unheard because the interpretation into Arabic was muffled. But enough came across to disappoint Mr. Assiz and his relatives.

“Begin offered nothing,” said a cousin. “He hardly mentioned the Palestinians. He said everything was negotiable and then he said that Israel had a right to ‐the occupied territories. It will not be good for Sadat, if he comes back with nothing.”

Over tea and sugary biscuits, the conversation then turned to the brother.

“We were so proud of him,” said Mr. Assiz. “He died before things got better around here.”

Owner of a Grocery Store

Mr. Assiz, who is 42 years old, is now a grocer. At the time his brother went off to war, they both raised vegetables on a small strip of family land. A few years ago, Mr. Assiz sold the property and built his shop.

Hazlet el‐Siman has fared better than many communities caught up by the urban sprawl and population explosion that raises Egypt's population by a million every year.

The village had the advantage of being at the foot of the pyramids. Most of the camel drivers who give rides to tourists live here. Souvenir shops, some with English‐language signs, have opened close to the Sphinx.

With a good road leading back to Cairo, land values in the village have skyrocketed. A few villas have appeared at the outskirts. Some three and four‐story apartment buildings are under construction. The only farms left are devoted to vegetables, because they are more profitable than wheat or sorghum and can be easily transported into the capital.

Even the funerals reflect more prosperous times in the community. Today, Nazlet el‐Sima” s largest dusty lot was taken over by a funeral service in an ornate tent for a wealthy businessman.

Plush oriental rugs covered the floor and heavy glass lamps hung from the tent top. An imam wailed verses from the Koran into a microphone.

The family members shook hands with mourners and offered them bitter coffee and cigarettes.

But by 4 P.M. many of the mourners had left, in time to Watch Mr. Sadat in Israel.

Associated Press

Egyptians in Cairo watching televised coverage of their President's trip

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A version of this archives appears in print on November 21, 1977, on Page 20 of the New York edition with the headline: Family at Pyramids Feasts and Then Watches Speeches. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe